An alternative strategy for perinatal verbal autopsy coding: single versus multiple coders.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

To determine the comparability between cause of death (COD) by a single physician coder and a two-physician panel, using verbal autopsy.

Methods

The study was conducted between May 2007 and June 2008. Within a week of a perinatal death in 38 rural remote communities in Guatemala, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Zambia and Pakistan, VA questionnaires were completed. Two independent physicians, unaware of the others decisions, assigned an underlying COD, in accordance with the causes listed in the chapter headings of the International classification diseases and related health problems, 10th revision (ICD-10). Cohen's kappa statistic was used to assess level of agreement between physician coders.

Results

There were 9461 births during the study period; 252 de

SUBMITTER: Engmann C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3927400 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature